Category Archives: 23 Wards

Takadanobaba in Shinjuku Ward is a well known place for a few reasons. It’s near the famous Waseda University, it has very good ramen, and is known as the birthplace of Astro Boy (Tetsuwan Atom). Across the street from the Waseda exit are two murals dedicated to Osamu Tezuka’s manga. This time, I’m giving you two pictures!

In Shinjuku, Tokyo, there is a very tall educational building. It’s the second tallest educational building in the world at 50 floors and 204 metres. It was completed in 2008. The Cocoon Tower has a very distinct design, and is in fact home to a couple of design schools (Tokyo Mode Gakuen, which does fashion, and HAL Tokyo, which is a special technology and design school) and a medical school. In this picture, it’s the tall building on the left.

The Cocoon Tower is easy to recognise on the west side of Shinjuku Station.

Cherry blossoms were blooming, and I met a friend in Shinjuku. We went to the Tokyo Metropolitan Office building and enjoyed taking some photographs. The Tokyo Metropolitan Office building is the seat of Tokyo’s government, and has one of the highest observatories in Tokyo at 202 metres. There are 2 observatories and provide a great view of Tokyo. After that, we visited Shinjuku Chuo Park and Kumano Shrine. Enjoy the pictures!

Two kids and their father looking out the window in the observatory.

A reflective building near Shinjuku Chuo Park.

Looking northwest toward the horizon.

Looking down to the Shinjuku Sumitomo Building.

Shinjuku has a big collection of skyscrapers.

The unusual building in the middle is the Tokyo Mode Gakuen building, which is one of the tallest educational buildings in the world.

In the middle is the NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building.

Here is part of Kumano Shrine's garden.

Kumano Shrine itself from the side.

This is near the back of the shrine.

This is a smaller shrine at Kumano Shrine.

Kumano Shrine from the front.

Here's another shrine building.

The main gate, or torii, of Kumano Shrine.

Here's the Tokyo Metropolitan Office Building from Shinjuku Chuo Park.

Cherry blossoms are blooming in the park.

Lots of cherry blossoms!

A great looking cherry tree.

Finally, some public art. Two ladybugs are staring at me.

This area is very easy to find. It’s near Shinjuku station, and the tower is one of the most prominent in Tokyo. But here’s a map:

On the same day that I visited Ueno Zoo, I went to Tokyo Tower. It was nighttime, so there would be great night views of Tokyo. Tokyo Tower is located in Minato Ward, near Roppongi, Azabu Juban, and many embassies. Tokyo Tower is 333 metres tall, and is a larger replica of the Eiffel Tower. It’s painted orange and white according to aviation laws. It’s a TV antenna, but with the analog terrestrial TV broadcast signals ending next month, Tokyo Sky Tree is taking over for digital broadcasts. There are two observation levels in Tokyo Tower. The pictures below taken from the tower are on the lower deck. Enjoy!

Tokyo Tower is brightly lit at night in this picture from down the street.

Looking way up in this closeup.

Looking way up! This is right at the bottom of the tower.

Tokyo looks great at night.

Lots of tall buildings.

Here's another view.

Sorry, this one was a bit blurry.

In Tokyo Tower, there's a window looking straight down. Can you do it?

Tokyo Tower isn’t hard to find. It’s really tall. But here’s a map of the area:

Last year, I visited Ueno Zoo for the second time. Most people know Ueno Zoo for its pandas, but how many people know about its Thai and historic Japanese architecture? A relatively new addition to the zoo, the Thai Pavilion may seem out of place.

The Thai Pavilion in Ueno Zoo

But there’s a much more impressive structure nearby. If you’ve visited the zoo, you may remember a 5 storey pagoda. This pagoda is part of Kan’eiji Temple. This temple was established in 1625, and at its height, occupied the entire area in the heights, as well as where Ueno Station is now. It was huge. There are several structures in Ueno Park that were part of the Kan’eiji complex, but most were destroyed. In 1657, the Mereiki fire destroyed most of the complex, but then many new structures were built. During the Battle of Ueno in 1868, most buildings were destroyed. The temple’s main hall was actually transported from Kawagoe’s Kita-in Temple. Some parts of the original temple that remain include the Toshogu Shrine and the 5 storey pagoda. For more information, please read the Wikipedia page.

Kan'eiji's 5 storey pagoda is in Ueno Zoo. This is an original structure that survived the Battle of Ueno in 1868.

Here's a closer look at the pagoda. Most of Kan'eiji Temple was destroyed during the battle. Thankfully, the pagoda, which was built in the 17th century, still stands.

For a map of the area, please see below. The pagoda is at the centre of the map.

As you may have noticed, I’ve changed the header. Every once in a while, I change the header to go with the season. This time, it’s a Japanese garden at the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, which is near Meguro Station in Tokyo. The museum is called Teien because of the garden. I will have a post in the future about the museum and garden with plenty of pictures.

Most people I talk to have never heard of the Teien Art Museum. Have you heard of it? The museum is the former home of the Prince Asaka Family, and was built in 1933 in the Art Deco style. I definitely recommend taking a look.

Earlier this week, I was at the Embassy of Canada in Tokyo. It’s an interesting building. The entrance is on the 4th floor, which you get to by taking an escalator. There’s a library and theatre on the ground floor, which is accessible by an elevator. The Canadian Embassy is one of the largest embassies in Tokyo. It’s located in Akasaka in Minato Ward, and is near Aoyama, Azabu-Juban and Roppongi areas. It’s a very expensive area of Tokyo. The embassy is across the street from the Crown Prince’s residence. The 2nd picture is from the 4th floor.